Selling your Carlsbad home is a challenge. And you want to know that the REALTOR you hire will get the job done. Of course I am assuming that you have priced the home to sell, since we know that no matter how much marketing you do, an overpriced home will not sell.

Read: What’s Important to You as a Seller?

This is not so much about how to go about finding the right agent, but more about what will the listing agent do for you.

Read: What do You Want to Know About Your Agent?

Also: What Kind of Agent do You Want?

There are many strategies a listing agent can employ in order to help you find the right buyer for your home. The operative word here is CAN: some agents take the easy (or lazy) way and do the minimal work needed to get a home sold, or don't have a clue about Internet marketing where most of today's buyers are.

Gaining the maximum exposure in today market is critical since there is so much competition. Buyers are being picky and are not willing to pay more than what they perceive market value to be. So, to reiterate…PRICING is the most important thing you can do to sell your home. And of course your home will be free of clutter and personal items (i.e., staged), and repairs will have been taken care of. Assuming that is on target, then, what sorts of things might you expect the agent you are considering hiring to provide you with regarding to marketing and advertising?

• Standard offerings
  • listing in the MLS – accurate information, no typos hopefully, and lots of high quality photos
  • signage in the yard
  • attractive feature sheet in the house and in a brochure box (there is some debate about the brochure box)
  • An ad in the local newspaper, an open house or two (or perhaps one every weekend – hmm, is that what you really want, given we know few homes sell this way?) and broker caravan
• Other offerings
  • Single site webpage or blog (see 6547 Calle Valperizo for an example of a blog I am using for my newest listing)
  • Unique URL for YOUR home (see above)
  • Virtual tours – these are easy to do and pretty common, yet lots of agents DON’T use them…and buyers say they WANT to see them. Here’s an example.

• Written marketing plan – many agents do not have one and look at you like a deer in the headlights if you ask to see one. How do you know what they plan to do to target market YOUR home?
• Lots of photos – buyers tell us they WANT to see photos, lots of them. Some buyers will not even look at a listing that has no photos…and many don’t. Here is an example of a slide show of a recent listing of mine.
• On-line flyers and postings on multiple websites – here is a Vflyer for my latest listing. This gets posted on multiple sites. And there are dozens and dozens of real estate website where your listing should be (Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow are just a few of the big name ones that get the most Internet traffic).

• Video – is there a video of the home, or better yet the community? Here is an example I did.
  

There’s more, but you get the idea. Don’t short change yourself. Selling your home is TOO important, if you are really serious about it.

*************

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad or surrounding communities, and the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your home search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

I am veering off my usual path of writing articles on real estate to share some information about myself (if you only want to read about REAL ESTATE or a CARLSBAD RELOCATION you can stop here).

Not because I necessarily want to, nor because you need to know this stuff. And normally I write for real estate consumers, not about myself. But I was tagged by my friend Lola Audu in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of her meme, which she describes as a game of virtual tag. She was tagged by Linda Scanlan (another friend and fellow REALTOR in Fort Worth, TX) who had been tagged by Ginger Wilcox on ActiveRain where lots of us agents hang out in the blogosphere.

Since Linda also memed me in her post I owe this to her as well. Thanks…I think I’m honored for the meme but do I really have to do this? (Plus I still I owe Diane Aurit in Lake Norman, North Carolina, a meme on books from weeks ago. Still working on that, Diane).

Soooo…the requirement is to share 7 interesting things about myself and to Tag 7 other people who have blogs outside of ActiveRain (I assume they should be equally interesting…perhaps more so. That’ll be easy). Not sure I can count that high on the interesting scale. Maybe I can make something up.

• When I was 12 I was in an opera – “Aida” in fact (by Guiseppe Verdi). At the Philadelphia Lyric Opera. I got to lead a horse onstage with leading tenor Enrico Caruso as part of the Triumphal March (listen to it) on Opening Night. Caruso had a bit of a tough time getting off, as reported by the Philadelphia paper. It was NOT graceful as I recall. I did NOT get my feet stepped on. Whew.

I rode my bike between Boston and NYC twice. Not just for fun (well, it WAS fun) but for the AIDS Ride benefit. About 325 miles the first time (Boston to NYC over 3 days, the first day in pouring rain), the second time was 350 miles over 4 days from NYC to Boston. I raised several thousand dollars each time in order to ride. Very cool.  A life changing experience. Man, was I sore. That's me on Day 2 (NYC to Boston) along the Long Island Sound in Connecticut.

• My wife and I are avid art collectors (no, not the million dollar stuff, silly). We have probably 150 pieces (mostly original) on our walls and stashed in 3 closets since there is not enough room. We keep buying. We also owned a successful art gallery in Cambridge, MA near Boston for 3 years before moving to Carlsbad, California. (see some snippets of our collection below).
  

• I climbed over the top of a railroad bridge over the Muskingum River in Marietta, Ohio while in college…several times. Why? It was there. Who cares?!  It seemed like a fun thing to do at the time. I was probably skipping class at the time.

I have driven across the country from Massachusetts to California 3 times in the last 10 years. I’d rather fly. Quickest trip was about 3 days (3400 miles). Saw some things I will never forget (Grand Canyon, for example) – others, I have no desire to ever see again. I’m staying mum on that so as to not offend anyone. Don’t ask.

• Lastly, I have moved around a bit. Certainly not as much as some folks but enough. Having had 4 major relocations – to Boston from Detroit, to Minneapolis, back to Boston and to California (our Carlsbad home is our 9^th, not counting a few rentals and temporary housing along the way, plus 2 vacation homes at the beach) - is part of my interest in this blog on relocation and helping others navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of a move.

There you have it. Nothing very exciting on the interest scale, but, hey, it’s me and what I feel like sharing.

Now for the hard part. Who to tag? People I know? Those I don’t?  There are so many to choose from. But like Maureen I think I will think local and stick to Cali (and of course those who also have other blog sites). If you have been memed before, sorry. But I have too, so you don’t get much sympathy from me. 

• Brad Andersohn The Tech Exec
• Mary Pope-Handy Live in Los Gatos
• Lynda Eisenmann Living in So Cal
• Sandi Bauman Chico Home Search
• Morgan Brown Blown Mortgage
• Gena Reide Sacramento Real Estate Voice
• Sheron Cardin Home Staging News

I, and others, look forward to hearing from you.

If I can provide more information about the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360
or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

Carlsbad home buyers

If you are considering homes in the Aviara area of Carlsbad, one neighborhood you might want to visit (only if you are looking in the $900K and up range, however), is Serenata.

You can read more about this Aviara neighbood here.

And you might want to look at the most recent Carlsbad Market Report for the latest on what is happening with prices and inventory.

*************************************

Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods (including other areas)

Are you a first time home buyer. Check out First Time Buyer Central.

Buyers often want to purchase a home with a view. This is especially true in areas where you have great views, such as of the mountains, the valleys or the ocean.

I recently wrote an article about buying a home with a view in Carlsbad, but the information in this article, I think, is generally applicable to anywhere.

So if you have an interest in buying a view home, you might want to head over to the article to learn more about some issues to be aware of in your search. Most notably, you can expect to pay more for a comparable home with a desirable view. But there's more.

And please let me know if I can assist you in any way.

Jeff

*****************************************

Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods

Often in a relocation folks decide that they want to buy a home in their new location, while at the same time selling their former home. Timing can get tricky but many choose to do this. With diligent efforts on the Internet doing your research, working with a competent REALTOR in your new city, and having a househunting trip or two, this can generally be accomplished fairly readily. Lots of people don't want to move more than once, so they prefer to go from the old home to a new one right away.

I have found that in many cases taking time to look at housing, decide on the desired community, find the right home, and move can be tough. For those of you who are choosing to move here to Carlsbad, or elsewhere in Southern California, for personal reasons rather than due to work, the lack of time pressures may be such that renting a place while you look for a home to buy may be tghe best solution.  I am working with several relocation clients that are, in fact, doing just this.

Finding the right home is important, and they have the luxury of time, so the feeling is that they can more effectively look, without a time crunch, and then will be ready to buy when the right thing comes along. Their old home will be sold so they do not have to worry about coordinating two sales, which can be a big plus. Yes, in some cases they will need to move their furniture twice, but in others (because of using a furnished rental) it will be easier to transition.

Having relocated 4 major times, I think this can make a alot of sense, if you are not under time pressures to buy a new home or get your kids in school. When making a personal choice to move here, being sure that this is what you want and finding the right community are so important. Taking the time you need to do so can make a huge different.

If I can help any way in your home search or answer any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

********************************

Start your CARLSBAD AREA HOME SEARCH here

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Here's another item to add to your list of things to consider when searching for a new home.

Noise seems to be an important consideration for many buyers, and I am often asked about it. People want to know if the neighborhood is quiet, if you can hear the freeway, and so on.

Because this is such a personal issue, but one that can really impact your homebuying (especially here in coastal California, like Carlsbad, where the freeway and the train run through the middle of most communities), I wrote an article that you might want to read. 

Read more on Noise... 

Chances are that you are relocating for business reasons. Not everyone does, of course, but a large percentage do.

There is also a good chance that someone else in the household (spouse, partner) may need to job hunt in the new location. It may or may not be important for both of you to have jobs in order to proceed with buying a house. If it is, you will have to do your job hunt from a distance, and start early. So how do you do this (I have a Human Resources background, remember?)?

• On-line Job Boards - probably the most efficient, and the majority of jobs these days are advertised on one of the job boards as well as on company websites. Monster, Career Builder, and Hot Jobs are just a few (but maybe the best known of these sites out of thousands). You can post your resume and look for jobs.
• Newspapers - a bit archaic and cumbersome, perhaps, but depending n the area you are moving to may be a good option. You can often arrange for home delivery of the major paper from your new location. Many big papers also have on-line capability where you can search their classifieds section. Moving here to San Diego? Check out the Union-Tribune or their website - Sign On San Diego
• Human Resources Department - check with the HR department of the company where the new job is. Companies that are relocating employees are often able to provide some job hunting assistance to the relocating spouse/partner - it's just good business. The HR staff will likely have connections with other companies and search firms.
• Search Firms - depending on the kind of job, you might want to hook up with one or more search firms in the new city. They can help represent your resume for any jobs they might hear about or are working on for a client company. Jobs can range from administrative/clerical to financial/accounting to upper management (Director, VP, GM, CEO). There are many local search firms (some are retained search) as well as multiple national executive search firms like Heidrick and Struggles, and Korn-Ferry.

Start YOUR CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH HERE (and other San Diego communities too)

For those of you who are planning to buy a home in the Southern California area (including those you live locally already), there are some things to know about FIRES and EARTHQUAKES.

As you probably know, YES, we have them. Certain areas are more prone, especially to forest fires, and buyers should do their due diligence and investigation beforehand.

You can read more about fire risk in the Carlsbad Area and nearby communities here.

Learn more about earthquakes, disclosures about earthquakes, and earthquake safety here.

Living in California is rather different than many other parts of the country (well, duh!). I make this point, however, for those of you who are planning to relocate here, say from the Midwest, New England or other similar areas.

As a buyer myself, who moved here to Carlsbad from New England (Boston) a little over two years ago, I found that life here is NOT the same as in New England in a lot of ways. I still feel that at times. While I had traveled here quite a bit before moving, living here is another matter. I really enjoy it, for a variety of reasons, but recently decided to share some of my thoughts. Yep, the weather is REAL different but that was not my focus - everyone knows that about California already.

As a buyer coming from another area, you might find some of my musings helpful. Perhaps not. But I enjoyed writing about them anyway, and people seem to enjoy reading about them.

Here's the article if you're interested  > > > > > > > > > >

By the way if you DO have specific questions about things here, don't hesitate to ask. There are likely others who have the same questions and I am happy to share my thoughts at any time.

Jeff

Recently I have had a number of people ask me more about my background, in real estate as well as otherwise. I think most prospects, and clients, have some interest in knowing more about who they might work with (or are working with).  [photo is of me, of course, at the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage last week in the 100 degree heat - it was 20 degrees warmed than at my home in Carlsbad]

Perhaps you are wondering about these things as well. If so, you might want to check out my profile by clicking on the MEET ME link on the left side of the page.

You might also be wondering about my personal relocation experience (4 major moves) and now that ties in with the information I am sharing throughout this blog. If so, take a look at one of my first posts to learn more about some of my own relocation experiences. I've had both good and bad, and am happy to share more if that is useful.

Thanks for reading.

Jeff

This has nothing to do with relocation or real estate, but I felt compelled to comment...I'm sure you understand.

First let me say that I hope none of you reading this knows anyone who was involved in this horrible event in Minneapolis. But if you do my thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones.

Having lived in Minneapolis and crossing that bridge many times, this really hit me. I found out about it late last night after leading in Orange County airport from my 1 day trip to San Francisco for a conference on blogging - more on that later. My wife is in Michigan and left me a message, wanting me to know. We have friends there (thankfully they are fine) and the company she works for is there as well (everyone there is OK too).

These sorts of tragedies always remind us of how precious life, friends, and family are,and that our lives can be changed in an instant, and without warning. Always remember this - they cannot be replaced.

Jeff

The majority of buyers are using the Internet to search for homes, learn about the buying process, obtain neighborhood information, and much more. Unless you have been hiding under a rock you probably know this.

The Internet is an essential part of your arsenal as a seller, too. Any decent agent will have a strong Internet presence, and will use the Internet to market properties (makes sense, since that's where buyers are looking). If you do a Google search for that person you SHOULD find them all over the place - articles they have written, on blogs, homes they are marketing, directories they are part of, and much more. An agent website is a small piece of web marketing. (hey, just for fun, GOOGLE ME!!).

Do a Google search to me and you'll see what I mean.

If you do a search and find nothing, what does that tell you? How are they going to successfully market your home to today's Internet-savvy buyers when you can't find them on the 'Net either. Either they aren't using the Internet or they don't know how, nor recognize the essential role it plays in today's market.

You should also be able to find the address of a home they are listing and it, too, should pop up somewhere. If not, you have to wonder how buyers will find the home, other than driving by the sign.

So search the Internet first before making any decisions. And when talking with a REALTOR, find out what THEY are doing on the Internet.

  Start YOUR CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH HERE (and other San Diego communities too)

For many folks the kitchen IS the center of the house, the focus of all activity, the place where everyone tends to congregate, even at parties. Is that true for you? Is this the most important room to you?

If so, as a buyer you should keep this in mind as you are looking at Carlsbad homes, or anywhere for that matter.

Knowing that the kitchen really is important in your lifestyle, you will want to focus on homes for sale that seem to provide a place where that lifestyle can continue. This does not mean that the kitchen has to be perfect, but that is does have the size you need and is easily accessible to other nearby rooms (perhaps open to the family room, which is a popular configuration for today's lifestyle, whereas older homes may have a separate room that is less conducive to entertaining). You can always update, add appliances, paint, etc. but if the room is really small or oddly laid out it might not work for your lifestyle.

As a seller, you should keep these things in mind too. For many buyers the kitchen is the most important room and you need to maximize its appeal in your own home where you can for showings. Avoid ALL clutter, make sure everything shines, upgrade appliances (or consider a credit), flooring, lighting or cabinetry if is it really outdated (keep in mind this may NOT mean you will get all your investment back, but if things are really in bad shape improving them will make the overall kitchen more desirable for buyers). The goal is to make your kitchen as appealing to buyers as possible, with as much light and cooking space as you can manage. Often sellers are busy with their lives and the kitchen can become cluttered and not really ready for showings.